Rubber valve



March 7, 1944. c. c. SCHEELE RUBBER VALV E Filed Dec. 12, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I'm: E N T UR EHAELEF 1S. 5L'HEELE ATT DEN EY March 7, 1944. c. c. scHEELE RUBBER VALVE Filed Dec. 12, 1941 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVE NT 01? CHARLES E. SL'HEELE ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 7,1944

RUBBER VALVE Charles C. Scheele, Syracuse, N. Y., asslgnor to Easy Washing Machine Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 1 3 Claims.

My invention is concerned with improvements in valves and is specifically directed to valves for use under low pressure heads.

I prefer to make the entire valve of my invention of rubber. It is apparent, however, that the valve body could be made of other suitable material. To my knowledge, there is no established category of valves in which the valve of my invention may be classed. It more nearly approaches that type of valve which is known as a piston valve than any other classification. My invention comprehends a valve having a collapsible piston or plug which, in its normal expanded shape, obstructs the flow of fluid through the valve, the plug, however, is so constructed and arranged that it may be collapsed and moved out of the path of flow whereby the fluid may pass freely through the valve.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a washing machine tub, parts being broken away, showing the valve of my invention mounted in the bottom of the tub to control the drainage of water therefrom.

Figure 2 is aperspective view of one form of the valve of my invention.

Figure 3 is a section. part being broken away, taken on the line 3-4 of Figure 2, showing the construction of the valve body.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of my collapsible piston or plug.

Figure 5 is a section, parts being broken away,

taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1, the dotted lines showing the piston in the collapsed position.

Figure 6 is a section, part being broken away, taken on the line 8-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a vertical section, parts being broken away, showing a modified form of the valve of my invention.

Figure 8 is a section, parts being broken away, similar to Figure 7, but showing the collapsible piston pulled inside out.

Figure 9 is a vertical section. parts bein broken away, showing a modified form of construction of the lgwer portion of the piston shown in Figures 7 and Referring now to the drawings:

In Figure'l, l represents a sheet metal tub as employed in a washing machine. The valve II, in this instance, is mounted in an opening l2 in the bottom of the tube Ill. The valve H comprises the valve body l which, in this instance. is a vertical tubular member having an entrance It at the upper end and a port I! in the side 2, 1941, Serial No. 422,733

thereof. In the valve illustrated, a substantially horizontally extending portion i8 is provided which may be connected at its free end iii to a pipe or tube. The body I5 is provided at its upper end with a pair of outwardly extending flanges l9 defining a groove 20 between them. A member 2| is provided for expanding the portion l5 adjacent the flanges 19 to secure the valve in the tub bottom. This structure is more fully described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 420,710, filed November 27, 1941, now Patent No. 2,314,315, granted March 16, 1943, and does not form a part of my present invention. In the preferred form, the lower end 25 of the body I5 is provided with a hemispheric closure formed integrally with the body I5. The wall of the portion 25 is considerably thicker than the wall of the body l5, as clearly shown in Figure 3. The bore 26 of the portion l5 ends in a circular seat 21 adjacent the portion 25. An opening 28 is provided in the bottom of the portion 25 for a purpose presently to be described. In the preferred form, wherein the valve body is made of molded rubber, I prefer to mold a brass plated steel insert 29 in the portion 25 to provide the opening 28.

A collapsible piston is provided for blocking and uncovering the port H. The piston 35 is molded of rubber, and comprises a cylinder 36 open at the lower end 31 and closed at the upper end by a head 38. The piston 35 is preferably made slightly larger than the bore 26 of the valve body to give a tight seal. An internally extending boss 39 is molded integrally with the piston head 38, and means provided for securing a valve rod to the boss 39. In the preferred form, the rod 40 is secured in the boss 39 when the collapsible piston is molded. I have found it advantageous to make the wall 4| of the collapsible piston 35 thinner and more flexible near the head 38 than it is near the open end 31. This thinning or tapering of the wall permits collapsing the piston 35 more easily. When the head 38 of the collapsible piston 35 is forced downwardly, it passes down inside the piston wall 4|, rolling the piston inside out. This action tends to force the piston walls out against the valve body and increase the seal between the piston and the valve body. Thus when fluid pressure is exerted on the head of the piston the valve tends to become tighter. Furthermore, as the piston tends to turn inside out, the fluid pressure tends to push the piston wall 4| out against the valve body l5.

The rod 40 extends downwardly through the opening 28 and has a threaded portion adjacent the lower end thereof. A pair of nuts 45 may be threaded on the threaded portion 4! oi the rod III in order that an operating member may be connected to the rod 40. The particular form of the operating member is not important. but as shown in Figure 1, it may be a simple lever 41 pivoted to a bracket 48 secured to the skirt 48 of the tub ill. The lever 41 projects outwardly through a slot II in the skirt 8 and has an operating knob 6i aifixed to the end thereof. The opposite end II of the lever 41 is provided with the slot it through which the rod 40 extends. The nuts 4! are positioned on either side of the lever 41 so that when the operating knob of the lever 41 is lifted upwardly the rod 40 is moved downwardly to collapse the piston, as shown in the dotted lines in Figure 5. In the collapsed position. there is an unobstructed passage through the valve from the entrance I! out through the port i1. When the operating knob SI is pushed downwardly, thecollapsible piston II is expanded to its normal position as shown in Figure 5, whereupon the outlet port i1 is blocked.

The lower portion of the collapsible piston 38 is cemented or otherwise sealed to the valve body It. By this construction there is no possibility of leakage downwardly past the piston 35. The rod ll d the opening 28 are permanently sealed from any contact with the liquid which may be passing through the valve. and thus no gland or packing is required around the rod 40.

The valve of my invention can also be used as a check valve by reversing the normal fiow of fluid through the valve. For example if fiuid is passed into the valve through the connection is, the fiuid pressure will deform the piston 35 and pass around it to exit from the upper end It of the valve. If however, the pressure at the upper end oi the body it becomes greater than the pressure at I, thepiug 3! acts normally to block the port I1.

I have shown a modified form of my rubber valve in Figures 7, 8 and 9. In the modified construction, the valve body 80 is provided with a truncated conical portion 8|. The bottom I! of the valve body is left open. A port I: is provided in the side of the portion CI. The tubular outlet 84 is molded integrally with the valve body ii. The upper portion ll of the valve body is similar to the upper portion of the valve body disclosed in Figures 2, 3 and 5. Adjacent the lower end 02 ot the valve body is provided an internal groove it for a purpose presently to be described.

In the modified form, the collapsible piston II is a truncated cone proportioned to fit snugly within the portion ll of the valve body. The head II of the collapsible piston II is provided with an internally projecting boss I2. In the preferred form. the valve rod 18 is molded in place in the boss 12, although. oi course, other suitable fastening means could be employed for connecting the valve rod to the piston head. In the modification shown in Figures 7 and 8, the lower portion of the collapsible piston 10 is provided with a fiange I! which is adapted to fit into the groove 0. The piston may be assembled and held in place in the valve body by means of the snap ring I. which is adapted to be forced into an internal groove II located adjacent the lower end of the piston II. In the modification shown in Figure 9, the lower end of the piston II is provided with a solid outwardly extending flange ll whichis adapted to fit into the groove N of the valve body. It is understood that in either modification the dance II. as shown in Figure 7, or the flange II, as shown in Figure 9, may be cemented into the groove or otherwise suitably sealed to the valve body. In Figure 8, the collapsible piston 10 is shown pulled inside out completely uncovering the port It.

Although I have shown two specific modifications of my invention, it is apparent that the particular form and dimensions of the parts may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention which embraces the scheme of employing a collapsible piston to block or unblock the passage through a valve body.

I claim:

1. A valve comprising a body having a tubular chamber, inlet and outlet ports opening into said chamber, at least one of said ports being located in the side wall thereof, a collapsible hollow plug of elastic material so constructed and arranged that the plug my be collapsed and the side wall thereof turned at least partially inside out by drawing one end of the plug within the hollow portion of the plug, said plug being fitted into said chamber so that in its normal position said plug side wall blocks said side port and in its collapsed position said side port is freed, and means comprising a push-pull connection to said one end of the plug for collapsing the plug and for restoring the plug to normal position.

2. A valve comprising a body having a chamber of circular cross-section, a port adjacent one end of said chamber, a port in the side wall of said chamber, a collapsible hollow plug of elastic material so constructed and arranged that the plug may be collapsed and the side wall thereof turned at least partially inside out by drawing one end of the plug within the hollow portion of the plug, said one end of the plug being closed 1 and extending toward the end port of said chamher and the other end of the plug'being sealed to the chamber wall adjacent the opposite end thereof, said plug being fitted into said chamber so that in its normal position said plug side wall blocks said side port and in its collapsed position said side port is freed, and means comprising a push-pull connection to said closed end of the plug for collapsing the plug and for restoring the plug to normal position.

3. A valve comprising a body having a chamber of circular cross-section, a port adjacentone end of said chamber, an annular seat adjacent the other end of said chamber. a port in the side wall of said chamber, a collapsible hollow plug of elastic material so constructed and arranged that the plug may be collapsed and the side wall thereof turned at least partially inside out by drawing one end of the plug within the hollow portion of the plug, said one end of the plug being closed and extending toward the end port of said chamher and the other end of the plug being open and positioned on said seat and sealed thereto, said plug being fitted into said chamber so that in its normal position said plug side wall blocks said side port and in its collapsed position said side port is freed, and means comprising a push-pull connection to said closed end of the plug for collapsing the plug and for restoring the plug to normal position.

' CHARLES C. SCHEELE. 

